PLACENTIA – The race for the North Hills League title is going to be a sprint.
Comprised of only four teams, three victories will win you the league, while two should get you a spot in the Southern Division playoffs.
On Thursday night, it was Canyon who shot out of the gate first.
Quarterback Jason Harman totaled 312 yards of offense and accounted for four touchdowns, giving the Comanches a pivotal 41-26 victory over El Dorado in the North Hills League opener at Valencia High.
Canyon (2-6, 1-0) won its second consecutive game after going winless in its first six outings.
A newfound commitment to the rushing attack appears to be the biggest difference in the last two weeks. After mustering a total of 222 yards on the ground in its first six contests – an average of 37 yards per game – the Comanches have rushed for 242 and 351 yards in back-to-back games.
“I think our offensive line is finally playing with some attitude,” Canyon coach Mike Ogas explained.
“They had a little bit of success last week, got a taste of pushing people around. They practiced with a different attitude and are playing with some nastiness.”
Against El Dorado (0-8, 0-1), Canyon rushed for 224 yards in the first half alone, averaging close to 10 yards per carry. The ground game set up the play action attack, allowing Harman to toss three touchdown passes to Jake Owens, Noah White and Trace Hobbs.
The Comanches also blocked a punt in the first half, with Ethan Rogers recovering the ball in the Golden Hawks’ end zone. At halftime, Canyon held a 27-7 advantage.
Daniel Bucaro’s 3-yard touchdown run for El Dorado made things interesting late in the third quarter, but touchdown runs of 5 and 50 yards by Charlie Treanor and Harman to start the fourth, pushed Canyon’s lead back up to 41-13.
Harman led all rushers with 148 yards, while Treanor finished with 115.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
